Beautiful
by GoodBadAndEverythinInBetween
Summary: What is beauty? Is it the sun, the flowers by the road, the water in the pond, or everyone around us? Alice explains to Bella that beauty is in everything that we see. Oneshot. Alice.


This oneshot is for Alice Mary Brandon Cullen. Because I admire her attitude and her absolute quirky uniqueness. Did you realise that Alice and 'alive' have only one letter difference? I realised this when I was typing.

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'Hey, why so glum, Bella?'

Bella watched expressionlessly as the petite, dark-haired, elfin-featured girl plopped down onto the stone ledge beside her. Alice's playful comment had elicted no response.

Alice sighed, fingering the bright pink streak in her hair.

'It's because of _her_, right?'

Bella nodded, her face still downcast, and brushed back her hair into a high bun, like the one Rosalie was wearing. Her gaze flickered between her reflection in the water and the blonde in question.

Alice slapped Bella's hand lightly. She let her hair fall back down into a silky brown mess, and Alice's quick finger braided the strands. Reaching over to a large bush, she plucked a large white bloom and held it up to the braid in Bella's hair, quickly tying it into place.

'There. You look beautiful. A smile would be nice, too.'

Bella continued frowning at the beautiful blonde.

'You know why I do this, Bella?' Alice gestured at her bright attire, the streaks in her hair, her overall eccentric appearance.

Bella shook her head no.

'Because I care. Because I do what I want, and live life to the fullest. I live life for me, and the people I love, and no one else. Because this morning, I felt spring returning to this part of the world. Flowers, trees, animals - all alive again. After a few months of sleep, covered by snow, everything is alive again. Glowing. Waking up to a fresh new world.'

Alice paused to turn and make sure that Bella was still listening.

'The opposite of love is not hate. It's indifference. The opposite of beauty is not ugliness. It's indifference. The opposite of life is not death, it's indifference. By being indifferent, you're not living, you're a walking zombie. When you start to live, you can find beauty in everything. What's the meaning of beauty, anyways? A pretty face? Being liked by boys? Or truly believing? The simplest things in life are the most beautiful. The purest, most sincere things in life are beautiful. _Rosalie_ is not beautiful.'

Bella laughed softly, and the sound faded away slowly.

Alice stared in wonder at Bella.

'That laugh... so full of life. So sincere. So full of feeling and true.'

Bella snorted.

'So I guess you can say that _everything's_ beautiful, right? The sun, these flowers, the water in that pond, the rocks at our feet, everyone on this school campus.'

Alice's laugh chimed.

'Come with me. I have something to show you.'

She took Bella's hand and pulled her up abruptly.

'The sun is beautiful. Have you ever seen anything so bright or warm? The energy that fuels or solar system. The light that makes us see. What makes the flowers grow, Bella? Where would they be without the sun?'

She pointed downwards at a bush. A regular bush that was covered with regular flowers. Nothing special.

'Do you see that flower, Bella? The perfect shape, the beautiful way the petals curl up slightly around the edges? The nectar in the centre, food for all the insects and bees? How it thrives on a bed of concrete, cold and hard and unnatural? Just so full of the desire to live. Even when it's stepped on by us humans, trampled mercilessly underfoot? I know you think that this is just a common flower, but the fact that there is an abundance of something does not make it ugly or boring in any way.'

'The water. Again, where would we be without water? Another source of life. See the ripples in the water? The cool clearness? What exactly is it about it that makes you want to jump in on a hot day? Why are there things such as reflections? How can something be so full of contrasts, calm and glittering one day, and powerful enough to destroy whole cities the next?'

She swirled her finger in the water, sending ripples out in every direction. The water glimmered in sun, flashing occasionally like a bright jewel.

'The rocks at our feet.' She bent down to scoop up a handful.

'None of them are exactly the same shade of grey. This one is tinged with purple, that one is slightly green, that one is yellow. See how this one sparkles?'

She turned the rock over slowly in her hand. It shimmered slightly, like fine grains of glitter had been mixed into the rock. The ridges stood out in relief, casting shadows on the lower surfaces, like hills and valleys.

'And everyone on this school campus? Even the least popular person has something beautiful inside them. No, they may not look beautiful to you when you glance quickly past, but when you look deeper...'

Bella stared at a passing girl, the one who Rosalie was staring with disgust at. She looked hard, and she really saw.

'Her eyes sparkle in the prettiest way. Her expression is so alive, like she has exactly what she wants in life.'

Alice smiled, her eyes twinkling.

'So you can finally see all the beuatiful things in everyone and everything. And that's what makes you, Bella Swan, beautiful.'

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Awh! Alice & Bella = BFF ! Review if you liked it :D


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